NEW DVD RELEASES

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTSKevin Cuneo

July 13, 2012 12:01 AM

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTSKevin Cuneo

July 13, 2012 12:01 AM

"Being Flynn"

(R, 2012, 102 minutes)

It's not easy "Being Flynn." Not for Jonathan Flynn, the absentee alcoholic father played by Robert De Niro, nor the restless twenty-something son Nick, played by Paul Dano, the estranged pair at the heart of this darkly tangled family drama. Both Flynns fancy themselves writers, De Niro's Jonathan is forever pontificating about the masterpiece that's almost finished; Dano's Nick not sure his scribbled observations have any merit. Regardless, it makes for dialogue of an elevated nature when, 18 years after Jonathan dropped out of Nick's life, he drops back in, leaving Nick to figure out whether having a father in the picture is better or worse than anything he'd imagined. The film is based on author-poet Nick Flynn's searing memoir, "Another ... Night in ... City." Set in Boston, it begins with Nick haphazardly trying to start his life. Nick's childhood is stitched in with flashbacks -- the latchkey kid, the struggling single mom (Julianne Moore) and the string of boyfriends who passed for father figures. By now, he's accepted the insecurity and insight that grew out of it.

Extras: Interviews

"Flowers of War"

(R, 2011, 146 minutes)

This film breaks new ground for China's movie industry: It's among the first domestically financed films to star a high-profile Hollywood actor (Christian Bale), and its reported budget of close to $100 million makes it the country's priciest production to date. But when it comes to storytelling, Zhang Yimou's 19th feature is decidedly backward-looking. Based on Geling Yan's novel "13 Flowers of Nanjing," the story gathers an improbable collection of people -- Bale's freelance American mortician, a group of convent schoolgirls and the women from a local brothel -- in the nominal refuge of a Catholic cathedral as the capital falls to Japan's Imperial Army. Zhang marshals his creative team to deliver stunning cinematic sequences and period detail. But "Flowers," remains an uneasy mix of action and melodrama.

The broad strokes of the screenplay by Liu Heng ("Ju Dou") pit the innocence of the schoolgirls against the worldliness of the prostitutes. Innocence-vs.-experience is an undeniably strong theme.

Extras: Commentary

"On the Ice"

(R, 2012, 96 minutes)

Shot entirely on location in Barrow, Alaska, "On The Ice" is the engrossing and suspenseful feature film debut by filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha MacLean about two teenage boys who have grown up like brothers. They go about their lives in the comfortable claustrophobia of an isolated Alaskan town. Early one morning, on a seal hunt with another teenager, an argument between the three boys quickly escalates into a tragic accident. Bonded by their dark secret, the two best friends are forced to create one fabrication after another in order to survive. The shocked boys stumble through guilt-fueled days, avoiding the suspicions of their community as they weave a web of deceit. With their future in the balance, the two boys are forced to explore the limits of friendship and honor. Josiah Patkotak is a promising student heading off to college, while Frank Qutuq Irelan plays a goofball who recently got his girlfriend (Sierra Jade Sampson) pregnant. The tension in the film comes, perversely, from the closeness of the community.

Extras: None

"American Reunion"

(R, 2012, 113 minutes)

The characters created by Adam Herz for the 1999 hit "American Pie" return in this tired sequel in which Stifler's way with nubile 17-year-olds doesn't seem quite as obnoxiously sprightly as it once did, given that Stifler is now supposed to be in his early 30s and the actor, Seann William Scott, is 35. The movie acknowledges this queasy disconnect, but that doesn't make it much funnier. Everyone in the ensemble keeps pushing the woebegone nostalgia angle, pining for their lost youth, eager to reactivate their now-dormant sex lives. We have Eugene Levy as Noah Levenstein, now a widower, still dispensing awkward advice to his son, played by Jason Biggs. The East Great Falls, Mich., reunion weekend brings together Jim, Stifler, haute poseur Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas, adroitly treading the line between "deadpan" and "bored"), sportscaster Oz (Chris Klein) and the other guy, Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), now bearded and married. There's just not enough plot, funny characters or comedy to interest us.

Extras: Deleted scenes

"Warehouse 13"

(NR, 2011, 13 episodes)

Syfy series "Warehouse 13" begins its fourth season on July 23 and the third season is now available on DVD (Universal, $49.98). Joanne Kelly and Eddie McClintock star as investigators tracking down artifacts with supernatural powers, and the third season was the best to date. It's often funny, very dramatic and quite touching in scenes of loss and sacrifice. The 13 episodes include the season's chronologically ordered narrative and the stand-alone Christmas-season telecast "Secret Santa." Pete (McClintock) and Myka (Kelly) are a pair of good-lookin' "He Said, She Said" FBI agents -- he's intuitive, she's a stickler. The show is worth a look just to watch the chemistry between these two. The loss of key characters from the previous season is addressed. Strong writing makes Season 3 stand out.

"Midnight Run"

(R, 1988, 122 minutes)

When he was in his prime and still selecting quality projects, Robert De Niro's films were almost always a treat. "Midnight Run" ranks as one of the best "buddy films" ever made. De Niro plays a disgraced ex-cop turned bounty hunter who is determined to bring in a bail-jumping embezzling accountant played by Charles Grodin. The Mob is also on Grodin's tail for embezzling millions from a gangster impeccably played by Dennis Farina. This is an action comedy, with a lot of laughs and plenty of heart. The best part is the terrific chemistry between De Niro and Grodin. Both give excellent performances, and when De Niro's daughter, who hasn't seen him in years, offers him her baby-sitting savings, the scene tugs hard on the heartstrings. Director Martin Brest excelled by pulling all the pieces of this film together, while coaxing memorable performances from actors like Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton and Joe Pantoliano. Even the edgy musical score by Danny Elfman creates just the right feel. The film has aged somewhat, but remains enjoyable for fans of De Niro who like to remember him at the peak of his skills.